Induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived myeloid cells expressing OX40 ligand amplify antigen‐specific T cells in advanced melanoma

Immune checkpoint inhibitors improved the survival rate of patients with unresectable melanoma. However, some patients do not respond, and variable immune‐related adverse events have been reported. Therefore, more effective and antigen‐specific immune therapies are urgently needed. We previously reported the efficacy of an immune cell therapy with immortalized myeloid cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS‐ML). In this study, we generated OX40L‐overexpressing iPS‐ML (iPS‐ML‐Zsgreen‐OX40L) and investigated their characteristics and in vivo efficacy against mouse melanoma. We found that iPS‐ML‐Zsgreen‐OX40L suppressed the progression of B16‐BL6 melanoma, and prolonged survival of mice with ovalbumin (OVA)‐expressing B16 melanoma (MO4). The number of antigen‐specific CD8⁺ T cells was higher in spleen cells treated with OVA peptide‐pulsed iPS‐ML‐Zsgreen‐OX40L than in those without OX40L. The OVA peptide‐pulsed iPS‐ML‐Zsgreen‐OX40L significantly increased the number of tumor‐infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs) in MO4 tumor. Flow cytometry showed decreased regulatory T cells but increased effector and effector memory T cells among the TILs. Although we plan to use allogeneic iPS‐ML in the clinical applications, iPS‐ML showed the tumorgenicity in the syngeneic mice model. Incorporating the suicide gene is necessary to ensure the safety in the future study. Collectively, these results indicate that iPS‐ML‐Zsgreen‐OX40L therapy might be a new method for antigen‐specific cancer immunotherapy.     

Unexpected Neuronal Protection of SU5416 against 1-Methyl-4-Phenylpyridinium Ion-Induced Toxicity via Inhibiting Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase

SU5416 was originally designed as a potent and selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) for cancer therapy. In this study, we have found for the first time that SU5416 unexpectedly prevented 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP⁺)-induced neuronal apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons, and decreased 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced loss of dopaminergic neurons and impairment of swimming behavior in zebrafish in a concentration-dependent manner. However, VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitor II, another specific VEGFR-2 inhibitor, failed to reverse neurotoxicity at the concentration exhibiting anti-angiogenic activity, strongly suggesting that the neuroprotective effect of SU5416 is independent from its anti-angiogenic action. SU5416 potently reversed MPP⁺-increased intracellular nitric oxide level with an efficacy similar to 7-nitroindazole, a specific neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor. Western blotting analysis showed that SU5416 reduced the elevation of nNOS protein expression induced by MPP⁺. Furthermore, SU5416 directly inhibited the enzyme activity of rat cerebellum nNOS with an IC₅₀ value of 22.7 µM. In addition, knock-down of nNOS expression using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) abolished the neuroprotective effects of SU5416 against MPP⁺-induced neuronal loss. Our results strongly demonstrate that SU5416 might exert its unexpected neuroprotective effects by concurrently reducing nNOS protein expression and directly inhibiting nNOS enzyme activity. In view of the capability of SU5416 to cross the blood-brain barrier and the safety for human use, our findings further indicate that SU5416 might be a novel drug candidate for neurodegenerative disorders, particularly those associated with NO-mediated neurotoxicity.     

The Gut Bacterial Communities Associated with Lab-Raised and Field-Collected Ants of Camponotus fragilis (Formicidae: Formicinae)

Camponotus is the second largest ant genus and known to harbor the primary endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Blochmannia. However, little is known about the effect of diet and environment changes on the gut bacterial communities of these ants. We investigated the intestinal bacterial communities in the lab-raised and field-collected ants of Camponotus fragilis which is found in the southwestern United States and northern reaches of Mexico. We determined the difference of gut bacterial composition and distribution among the crop, midgut, and hindgut of the two types of colonies. Number of bacterial species varied with the methods of detection and the source of the ants. Lab-raised ants yielded 12 and 11 species using classical microbial culture methods and small-subunit rRNA genes (16S rRNAs) polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis, respectively. Field-collected ants yielded just 4 and 1–3 species using the same methods. Most gut bacterial species from the lab-raised ants were unevenly distributed among the crop, midgut, and hindgut, and each section had its own dominant bacterial species. Acetobacter was the prominent bacteria group in crop, accounting for about 55 % of the crop clone library. Blochmannia was the dominant species in midgut, nearly reaching 90 % of the midgut clone library. Pseudomonas aeruginosa dominated the hindgut, accounting for over 98 % of the hindgut clone library. P. aeruginosa was the only species common to all three sections. A comparison between lab-raised and field-collected ants, and comparison with other species, shows that gut bacterial communities vary with local environment and diet. The bacterial species identified here were most likely commensals with little effect on their hosts or mild pathogens deleterious to colony health.     

云丘山地区灌木群落优势种数量关系

以68个灌木样方的重要值矩阵和2×2列联表为基础,结合实地调查,应用方差比率法、χ2检验、Pearson相关系数及Spearman秩相关系数法,对云丘山地区灌木群落的20个优势种、190个种对的关联性进行了定量研究。方差比率法结果表明,20个优势种总体间关联为显著正相关,云丘山地区的灌木群落处于较稳定的状态;χ2检验、Pearson相关系数、Spearman秩相个关系数结果表明,大部分种对的种间关联未达到显著程度,种间联结较为松散,群落结构及其种类组成将逐渐趋于完善和稳定;根据这20个优势种对环境的适应方式和主导生态因素辅助以PCA排序,可将它们划分为两种生态种组。以上结果揭示了该地区主要优势物种与环境的相互关系。     

VicRK(YycFG)双组分调节系统

细菌双组分调节系统,或称之为双组分信号转导系统,是细菌感应外界多变环境,维持自身存活和生长繁衍的重要感应系统.在这些调节系统中,最早发现于枯草芽孢杆菌的VicRK(YycFG)系统因与细胞存活密切相关而倍受关注.该系统存在于少数低G+C含量的革兰氏阳性菌中,包括金黄色葡萄球菌和肺炎链球菌等致病菌,高度保守.许多证据显示,VicRK(YycFG)具有调控细胞壁合成与代谢、胞膜完整、细胞分裂、脂类代谢、多糖合成与被膜形成以及细菌毒力等多种功能,参与细胞的生长、分裂与感染.该系统异常可导致细菌生活力严重下降,甚至死亡,因而成为防治该类病原菌的重要靶标.     

DDPH对低氧内皮细胞条件培养液诱导肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖及α-SM-actin表达的影响

目的探讨1-(2,6-二甲基苯氧基)-2-(3,4-二甲氧基苯乙氨基)丙烷盐酸盐(DDPH)抑制低氧内皮细胞条件培养液(HECCM)诱导肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖及对α-SM-actin表达的影响.方法利用低氧内皮细胞条件培养液建立猪肺动脉平滑肌细胞(PASMC)的增殖模型;以四甲基偶氮唑盐(MTT)比色法、α平滑肌肌动蛋白(α-SM-actin)为指标,采用免疫细胞化学染色法观察低氧内皮细胞条件培养液对肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖的影响以及DDPH对低氧内皮细胞条件培养液促肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖后的逆转效应.结果低氧内皮细胞条件培养液显著促进肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖,低氧内皮细胞条件培养液促肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖后,肺动脉平滑肌细胞的表型发生转化,由收缩表型转化为合成表型,肺动脉平滑肌细胞胞浆内的α-SM-actin含量下降;DDPH能显著抑制低氧内皮细胞条件培养液对肺动脉平滑肌细胞的增殖作用,并使肺动脉平滑肌细胞的表型发生逆转,即由合成表型逆转为具有执行正常收缩功能的收缩表型,肺动脉平滑肌细胞胞浆内的α-SM-actin含量回升.结论提示DDPH能显著抑制低氧内皮细胞条件培养液促肺动脉平滑肌细胞的增殖作用,其作用机制可能是通过肺动脉平滑肌细胞的表型发生逆转来实现的.     

人SATB1基 5'上游序列的转录激活功能分析

在对人SATB1基因进行生物信息学分析的基础上,采用PCR技术,扩增人基因组DNA中SATB1基因5'上游序列的-2955～-9片段,构建了3个分别由SATB1基因5'上游-2955～-9,-1727～-9和-760～-9序列片段驱动的报告载体-pGL3-SP2946-luc,pGL3-SP1718-luc和pGL3-SP751-luc,分别瞬时转染Jurkat T,K562,U937和HeLa细胞,通过测定荧光素酶的表达活性,观察SATB1基因5'上游序列片段3个删除突变体在不同细胞内活性的差异.结果显示,SATB1上游序列-2955/-9在4种细胞中的转录激活能力为U937>Jurkat T>K562,在HeLa细胞中基本无激活,提示SATB1的转录激活可能具有一定的细胞类型特异性.3种5'删除突变体转录激活性由大至小顺序为-760/-9>-2955/-9>-1727/-9,提示SATB1的核心启动子可能存在于其5'上游序列的-760至-9 bp区域中.     

MST1 promotes apoptosis through phosphorylation of histone H2AX

MST1 (mammalian STE20-like kinase 1) is a serine/threonine kinase that is cleaved and activated by caspases during apoptosis. Overexpression of MST1 induces apoptotic morphological changes such as chromatin condensation, but the mechanism is not clear. Here we show that MST1 induces apoptotic chromatin condensation through its phosphorylation of histone H2AX at Ser-139. During etoposide-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells, the cleavage of MST1 directly corresponded with strong H2AX phosphorylation. In vitro kinase assay results showed that MST1 strongly phosphorylates histone H2AX. Western blot and kinase assay results with a mutant S139A H2AX confirmed that MST1 phosphorylates H2AX at Ser-139. Direct binding of MST1 and H2AX can be detected when co-expressed in HEK293 cells and was also confirmed by an endogenous immunoprecipitation study. When overexpressed in HeLa cells, both the MST1 full-length protein and the MST1 kinase domain (MST1-NT), but not the kinase-negative mutant (MST1-NT-KN), could induce obvious endogenous histone H2AX phosphorylation. The caspase-3 inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-DEVD-fluoromethyl ketone (Z-DEVD-fmk) attenuates phosphorylation of H2AX by MST1 but cannot inhibit MST1-NT-induced histone H2AX phosphorylation, indicating that cleaved MST1 is responsible for H2AX phosphorylation during apoptosis. Histone H2AX phosphorylation and DNA fragmentation were suppressed in MST1 knockdown Jurkat cells after etoposide treatment. Taken together, our data indicated that H2AX is a substrate of MST1, which functions to induce apoptotic chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation.     

茶藨子叶孔菌子实体(忍冬)的化学成分研究(英文)

从茶藨子叶孔菌(忍冬)中分离了8个化合物,通过波谱法和理化性质分别鉴定为豆甾醇(1),二十八酸(2),β-谷甾醇(3),麦角甾醇(4),麦角甾醇过氧化物(5),壬二酸(6),烟酸(7),原儿茶酸(8)。化合物1,3,6均为首次从该属真菌中分到。